Cleaning device



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. L. BlNz CLEANING DEVICE Filed sept.- 5, 1955 l l l l 1 l l l l/ oct. 31, 1939.

0t.31,'1939.` ELEM 2,178,198

CLEANING DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 5, 1935 Vto Patented Oct. 31, 1939 vUNITED STATES' PATENT orales 2,178,198 CLEANING Davies. Paul L. Binz, St. Louis, Mo. Application September 5,'1935, Serial No. 39,319

12 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a cleaning device and more particularly to such la device which is particularly adapted `for cleaning small and delicate articles or objects, such as the mechanical parts of watches or similar devices.

An important object of the invention is to wheel and hair spring assembly of a watch mechanism, may be segregated from the more rugged parts of the mechanism, such as the gears, leversv and plates, and cleaned in the sameoperation.

`Other objects such as the economy of construction, eiiiciency and economy in operation, the interchangeability of certain parts, and the `compact arrangement of parent as the invention is better understood from the .following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is an elevational view of a device embodying my invention, broken away in part to show certain details of construction.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, viewing Figure 1 from the right, to the plane of the longitudinal axis to illustrate details of construction, the receptacle Il being 5 omitted and the jet plate 52 being partly shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2, with the article carriers removed and illustrating the jet plate.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a suitable impeller. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the nested article carriers illustrated in Fig. 2, as they appear when detached or when ready for attachment, and;

Fig. 6 and Fig. '7 are perspective views ofl the 45 separate carriers shown assembled in Fig. 5.

To illustrate my invention I have shown a cleaning device, particularly adapted forcleaning the works or mechanism or the several parts of the mechanism of a watch and similar devices,

so including a uid receptacle II, an article carrler I2, and impeller means Il. carried in a body or support frame I4, and actuated by means of amotor I5.

The fluid receptacle Ilma! be any suitable 5 5 container for containing 'a' suilcient quantity of the parts will be ailcleaning or rinsing uid or liquid to cover the carrier, when submerged, to a level indicated by line I6, Figure 1, and is preferably a glass jar of the character illustrated, having an opening in -the top thereof for receiving the carrier I2 and body Il, and having an upwardly faced shoulder 2l, formed by an annular flange 22.

The article carrier I2 may be any suitable perforate or pervious container in which articles to be cleaned may be positioned and through.:lo which a fluid or liquid may pass without undue resistance or obstruction. In the present embodiment I have shown a cylindrical or cup shaped carrier, a cup portion 23 of which is formed of wire mesh or fabric and may be welded or suitably secured to an annular sleeve 24. To provide means for segregating delicate parts from more substantial and rugged parts, during cleaning as above mentioned, a secondary carrier 25, which is or may be of similar construc- 20 ton is provided and arranged for support Within the carrier I2, or to form a part thereof in assernbly. The carrier 25 illustrated includes a mesh or fabric cup portion 26, similar to that of the carrier I2, and an annular sleeve 21, simi- 25 larly secured thereto. Laterally disposed pins 28 are rigidly mounted in the sleeve 21 and are spaced approximately one hundred and twenty degrees apart about the sleeve to engage in suit- 'l able bayonet slots 29, formed in the sleeve 24, for 30 supporting the carrier 25 within the carrier I2, substantially as illustrated (Fig. 5).

The impeller means I3 may be any suitable device or devices for effecting circulation of fluid or liquid over and about articles arranged in the carrier I2 for cleaning, such as a cleaning` fluid for cleaning, another uid or liquid for rinsing and atmospheric air for drying or for evaporation of the cleaning and rinsing fluids.

In the present embodiment I have shown screw 40 impellersvBI and 32, Figs. 2 and 4, arranged in tandem and secured to a shaft 33, which is rotatably mounted' in a bearing 3l, formed in the body Il. The impellers Il and 32, each include a hub 35, and a plurality of radially spaced and suitably pitched impeller blades 36. The hub of the impeller 32 is suitably notched or slotted to receive a drive pin 31, mounted in the shaft 33, and registers against a collar 38, formed on said shaft. 'I'he hub of the impeller 3l is pressed onto a portion 4I. of the shaft 33, of reduced diameter and is secured thereto by means of a nut 42. The body or support frame I4, illustrated, includes a central body portion I5. of substantially tubular form, in which the bearing 34 is formed 2 s t :arrancar or arranged, having a laterally disposed annular support flange 4l, at one end, and an enlarged annular collar or sleeve 41, at the other end thereof. Above the bearing Il and below the g flange circumferentially disposed openings 48 or ports are formed in the body portion Ii, to admit fluid or liquid to the interior of the body and above the impellers ll and 32. which are pitched and rotated to impell or drive downwardly, Figs. l and 2. Suitable reinforcing ribs 4I may be formed on the exterior of the body 4I. 'I'he collar or sleeve 41 is turned down to ilt and extend into thevsleeve 24, of the carrier I2,

, as shown, (Figs. 2 and 3), and suitable pins 5I are rigidly mounted in the periphery of this reduced portion of the sleeve 41 to engage in the bayonet slots 29, of the sleeve 24, to form `a de-v tachable or bayonet connection between the car# rier l2 and the body Il.

While the mere circulation of a cleaning fluid over and about the parts or articles to be cleaned will effect satisfactory cleaning thereof, to improve the cleaning eiiiciency and to. reduce the time required -for cleaning, I prefer to impart a whirling or circular movement to the cleaning uid acting coincidentally with the movement thereof over and through the parts in the carrier |2..and to direct the flow of the cleaning fluid toward the parts to be cleaned in a series of jet streams, directed to eilect; the whirling motion.

This is accomplished in the present embodiment by means of a iet plate I2, of circular form which is constructed and arranged to nt within the, collar or sleeve 41 of the body I4. substantially as shown, (Figs. 2 and 3), directly below the impeller means Il, and is secured to vthe sleeve I1 by means of the pins Il, which extend through thesleeve I1 and into the iet plate U2.

A series of substantially radially extending slots li, may be cut at an angle, as shown (Figs, 2 and 3), to form the Jets for imparting increased ve'- locity and rotary motion -to the cleaning fluid,

A central Jet Il, may be provided for improving the cleaning. action within the carrier 2l. This iet is formed by an aperture, counterbored from both vends to form a short shot flared iet, which operates to produce velocity and distribution. A nipple [I may extend from'the shaft Il, for the purpose of `breaking an obvious vacuum pocket. A The power means or motor il, may be any suitable device for actuating the impeller means Il, such as an electric motor of commercial design,

Y preferably having a handy control switch and wired for connection to a source of E. M. I". as shown. The motor Il may be secured directly to the body or support frame Il or to suitable spacers I1 secured to the body of the motor and attachedtotheilangeofthebody Ilbymeansv `of suitable machine screws Il.

A shaft Il of the mlotorl Il is preferably oon-l nected to the impeller shaft I3 through a nexible connection whichlis formed in the present em'- bodiment by a helical spring I2, engaged in suitable apertures in the shafts Il and Il, at its ends. A frusto-conical guard or cover Il, may be providedto seaithe top ofthebody .and maybe In operation, the carrier I 2 and its secondarycarrier 25 are separated and arranged in convenient positions for loading as a watch mechcomprising,

anism is taken apart for cleaning. After 'loading, these carriers are assembled as shown, Fig. 5, and then attachedv to the sleeve 41, as shown in Figs. l and 2, for the cleaning operation.

A cleaning operation, for example, includes submerging the carrier or carriers with the contained articles to be cleaned, in a suitable c1ean. ingiluid, then in a rinsing iluid, and iinalLv drying by means of atmospheric air. When the carrier is submerged in any iiuid and when air is to 1 be moved therethrough for drying. the motor il is energized by means ot the switch II to actuate the impellers il. 'I'he impellers are allowed to operate in accordance with the time required for the particular operation being performed and 1 when all operations have been completed Lthe car riers may be detached and suitably positioned on a bench where the watch mechanism may be reassembled.

It will be noted that the device`may be cona veniently adjusted manually and that any number of containers such as the container il, mayv be arranged in convenient positions. each conby positioning and operating the cleaning device on the containers in succession and in accordance with the contents thereof.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from ai.)

tthe foregoing description, and it will be'apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit andscope of theinvention', or sacrificing all advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l.A A cleaning device of the character described afluid receptacle, shaped carrier for supporting articles to be cleaned, a supporting body of substantially tubunuid receptacle, impeller means arranged within said body, and means for actuating said impeller nange forming a supporting surface whereby said u body is supportedA on the huid receptacle, impeller means arranged within said body. means for actuatingsaid impeller means to circulate iiuid through said body, and a plurality of nestedpu'f 4. A cleaning device vof the' charaeter'de- 0f its material '35 a perforate cup 40 Y opening therein, means forming intake whereby liquid in the container may be admitted having laterally disposed openings and a supporting ange adjacent oneend and terminating in an annular collar at the other end thereof, impeller means and means for actuating same mounted on and arranged to circulate duid to said other end of said body and through said annular collar, a jet plate arrangedl to circumfuse the fluid circulated by said -impeller means and being mounted in the annular collar of said body, and a perforate carrier detachably connected to the annular collar and covering said other end of said body whereby articles to be cleaned are supported adiacent the jet plate for exposure to the washing or drying action of fluid discharged from said body through said jet plate.

5. A cleaning device of the character described comprising, a container for liquid having an open end, a body supported upon the open end of the container and' having a hollow portion extending into the container, impeller means rotatably supported within the hollow portionl of said body,

means operable to causerotation of said impeller means whereby liquid from the container is forcibly driven from an opening in the end of the hollow portion of said body, and a perforated article container having a Idetachable connection with the end of the hollow portion of said body and covering the opening therein where'n articles may be supported for cleaning.

. 6. A cleaning device of the character described comprising, a body adapted for support upon and to close the open end of a container, said body having a tubular portion arranged to extend,

into the container and having a vdischargefopening therein, impeller means rotatably supported within the tubular portion of said body axd being operable to drive liquid through theA discharge to said tubular portion back of the impeller means, and a perforated Aarticle container having a detachable connection with the tubular portion of said body and being supported in alignment with the opening therein wherein articles may be supported for cleaning.'

7. A cleaning device of the character described.

` comprising a; container for liquid having an open end, a body supported uponthe open end of said container and having a tubular portion extending into said container for rigidly supportingA and submerging a carrier in which articles may be arranged for cleaning, a basket type carrier having a detachable connection with the tubularv portion of said impeller means operably mounted in the tubular portion of said body whereby liquid may be forcibly driven through thecarrier, and baille means arranged between the impeller `means 'and the carrier whereby a whirling motion is imparted to liquid as an incident to movement thereof into said carrier.

8. A cleaning device ofthe character described having a tubular portion channels disposed in the containerv means arranged within n sa'd body and to drive liquid therefrom through. .s

disposed in the end of submerged inliopddpa said carrier having radially disposed iet forming slots therein formed to deflect the flow of liquid in a common direction whereby a whirling motion is imparted to liquid as an incident to movement thereof into the carrier.

9. A cleaning device of the character described comprising, a body having a tubular portion adapted to be lpartly submerged in liquid and having inlet basket type openings near the top thereof, a carrier removably attached to and said body in which articles may be arranged for cleaning, impeller means operably mounted within the tubular portion of said`body whereby liquid in which the carrier and the inlet openings in the tubular portion of said body are submerged tainer, a basket type carrier rigidly attached to l the end of the dependingtu'bular portion of said body for carrying articles to be cleaned, means for circulating duid through said carrier and about articles carried therein including impeller means arranged within th tubular portion of' said body and to drive liquid therefrom through said carrier, and a circumfusing device arranged between vsaid carrier and said impeller means for controlling the flow of liquid into said carrier to augment the cleaning action thereof.

11. A cleaning device of the character described, comprising a container'for liquid having an open end, a body supported upon the open end of said 'container and having a depending tubular portion arranged to extend into the container,ia basket type carrier rigidly attached to the end of the depending tubular portion o! said bodyforjcarrying articles to be cleaned, means for circulating iluid through said carrier and about articles carried therein including impeller v the end of the depending tubular portion of said so body for carrying articles to b e cleaned, means for circulating iluid through said carrier and about articles carried therein including impeller the tubular portion of slid carrier ,and means the depending tubular portion of said body and between vsaid carrier and said impeller means for imparting movement to the flow of liquidtowards'aidcarriertoaugmentthecleanego Pam. L. nmz;

lo covering the bottom end of the tubular portion of 

